Lithuania plans to extend national sanctions on Russians, Belarusians for another year

VILNIUS –  As Russia continues its war in Ukraine, Lithuania plans to extend national sanctions on Russian and Belarusian citizens for another year.

The Law on Imposing Restrictive Measures Regarding the Military Aggression Against Ukraine, updated earlier this year, is currently set to expire on May 3, 2025.

The Foreign Ministry has drafted an amendment to extend the law until May 2, 2026.

"The large-scale war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022 is still ongoing, thus the reasons for which the law was adopted have not disappeared," reads the explanatory note.

"The actions of the Russian Federation have a significant negative impact not only on the security of EU and NATO members but also on the security of Europe as a whole."

No changes are being proposed to the sanctions targeting Russian and Belarusian citizens.

In an interview with BNS, Saulius Skvernelis, speaker of the parliament, did not rule out the possibility of tightening the restrictive measures.

"I've no doubt that we'll face a huge challenge after what will be called elections in Belarus. The issue of sanctions and their scope, especially as far as Belarus is concerned, is likely to change, but not in the direction of easing. It's about the threat to our national security," Skvernelis said. 

"All those restrictions must be reasonable and should not harm the interests of those whom we ourselves invited to come to Lithuania and gave the opportunity to live here temporarily. However, everything must be viewed through the lens of security," he added.  

The law on national sanctions suspended the acceptance of applications for Schengen and national visas from Russian and Belarusian citizens, except in cases where the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry acts as an intermediary. Lithuania also refuses to accept their residence permit applications, with exceptions made only for those with a valid Schengen or national visa or residence permit in Lithuania or another EU member country. 

Russians and Belarusians entering Lithuania from outside the EU are subject to additional checks for threats to national security, public order, public policy, internal security, public health, or international relations.

They are also prohibited from bringing or taking Ukrainian hryvnias into or out of Lithuania, and the import of agricultural products and feed originating in Russia or Belarus is banned.

The law bars Russian citizens without residence permits in Lithuania from purchasing real estate in the country.

Lithuania's national sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens were introduced by the parliament in 2023 and were updated and extended this year.